Matt Stafford turns ball over by sliding before reaching 1st down

If Stafford had stayed on his feet, it looks like he would’ve had the first down pretty easily. Instead, he chose to slide, which makes him down at the yard where he begins to slide. Maybe he thought he’d picked it up already, as he was running full speed?

But no, replay easily reveals he’s short. And when you’re short on fourth down, the other team gets the ball.

In the long term, Stafford preventing himself from taking a big hit instead of fighting for a few extra yards in a game the team was losing by three possessions might be the best thing for the Lions. In the short term, he had the opportunity to do something to help his team but instead opted to avoid contact. Which isn’t ideal in a contact sport.